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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1994)
i , ; \ i , Page 2 • The Battalion wmmmmmmmm Counseling 1 ips •r I T OCAL Wednesday • November23 i m&m m • i m Anger leads to unhealthy life By Debbie Rabinowtz Student Counseling Service Research has confirmed that people who "ha are frequently angry and hostile have higher ot coron£ ,ery d: other health problems. They have more inter personal difficulties, and perhaps most impor : tantly, just aren’t very happy people. Science is continuing to research the biological rea sons that some people have more difficulty dealing with anger than others. In the mean time, psychology has given us some very effec tive tools we can use to modify our behavior, if we so choose. The first step in dealing with anger is to keep a record of the times during each day that you find yourself feeling angry — whether it’s when a car cuts in front of you, when your roommate is sloppy or your boyfriend is late for a date. Once you’re aware of the triggers for your anger, you can begin a dialogue with yourself. In this dialogue ask “Is this matter important enough to merit my attention, and am I really justified in being this angry over this matter?” An additional consideration is “Do I have an effective re sponse available?” If the car that cut in front of you exited at the next ramp, realistically there is probably not any effective response you can make. If the answer to any of the above questions is “no”, then continuing to focus on your anger will only lead to greater frustration on your part, and possibly to inappropriate displace ment of your anger onto others. Instead, there are a number of techniques you can use to attempt to deflect your anger. The easiest is to simply tell yourself, “Stop, I’m not going to dwell on this angry thought.” You may di vert your attention to some other distraction such as reading a book you enjoy or visualiz ing the camping trip you want to take next month. Many people find that a simple form of mediation, such as concentrating on your breathing for several minutes is enough to break the anger cycle. Another scenario is that you think about your anger and decide that it is an important issue. You are justified in your anger, and you do have some possibly effective responses in such a way that you get the desired result without alienating any more people than you need to and without causing yourself more stress than necessary. The answer lies in as sertively but not aggressively stating your point. There is not room to completely de scribe this method here, however a number of books such as “Stand Up, Speak Out, Talk Back!” by Alberti and Emmons can help you master thus technique. In addition to the above, it is important that angry people begin to modify their gener al interactions with others. Angry people are often too self-involved. An important first step in changing this is to practice listening. When you find yourself feeling angry, take a deep breath, lean forward with a positive ex pression and concentrate on what the other person is saying. Don’t interrupt — always wait for the person to finish speaking before you say anything. If your anger is directed to ward a spouse or significant other, you may find it helpful to actually set a time limit, such as five or ten minutes, during which you will listen without interruption before reversing the roles. Listening is just one of the ways that you can begin to modify a hostile, angry lifestyle. For those who wish to further explore ways to change anger patterns, an excellent book is “Anger Kills” by Redford and Williams. Holiday travel The Thanksgiving traffic outlook for U.S. airlines Estimated passengers in millions 7" M T W Th F S 1.8 1.6 — November 20 HI 22 EEI 24 rai 26 23 25 Soup kitchens struggle to serve needy Total estimated passengers 11.13 million Source: Air Transport Association The Thanksgiving larder is anything but bountiful this year at soup kitchens preparing holiday meals for the poor. From Buffalo, N.Y., to Boston, from Lansing, Mich., to Louisville, Ky., donations are down and demand is up. Church workers and social service agencies blame a steady de cline in government funding and also say that many Americans, themselves struggling to make ends meet, are losing sympathy for the unemployed and the homeless. “Homelessness has been around for a long time now, and people are beginning to say, ‘Gee, if we can’t solve the problem, maybe we ought to pretend it’s not there,”’ said Rick Roberts, chairman of the Chicago Christian Industrial League. The league expects to prepare 1,500 Thanksgiving meals — 200 to 300 more than last year. In Lansing, Mich., donations are way down at the Cristo Rey Com munity Center, said senior citizens program coordinator Toni Diaz. “By this time last year, we had people who had donated four turkeys and the fixings. This year we haven’t had one turkey donat ed,” she said. “Donations are dropping like a stone,” said Tom Wilder of Friends of Night People, a Buffalo soup kitchen expecting to serve up to 300 Thanksgiving meals. In California, where Proposition 187 was recently passed to deny most government services to illegal immigrants, at least one soup kitchen director sees a less charitable attitude. Proposition 187 “has created or perhaps brought to the surface a lot of unspoken feelings from people directed not just at illegal immi grants, but poor people in general,” said Willie Jordan of the Fred Jordan Mission, along Los Angeles’ Skid Row. Westy Egmont, director of the Boston Food Bank, said, “1994 has been a tough year for donations. There is a level of compas sion fatigue.” In New York City, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has proposed closing a deficit by eliminating a $6.3 million emergency food program. With out that money, many soup kitchens and pantries may be forced to close by the start of winter. The soup kitchen at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York has already seen its government funding drop from 40 percent of its bud get to about 25 percent in the past five years, said the Rev. Eliza beth Maxwell. “It’s frightening to think about what might happen to the people who come to eat here and who have so very little, if some of the cuts I’ve heard bandied about go through,” she said. Police Beat The following incidents were reported to University Police Department from Nov. 9 to Nov. 18. State park officials will seek $ 10 million Misdemeanor Theft Southside Parking Garage - Acar cover was stolen from the victim’s Honda Accord LX. Various Campus Locations - Two bicycles were stolen. Parking Area 40 - The tail lenses of the victim’s 1993 Ford Mustang LX were stolen. Dormitory 6 - A gold Seiko wrist watch with the Texas A&M University seal and a Pulse card were stolen from the victim’s third floor room. Disorderly Conducf Evading Arrest Clements Hall - A man observed throwing sticks al victim’s window. When proached by officers, hefli Following a short foot purs: he was apprehended. Harassment Legett Hall - The won was being annoyed and ened by an ex-boyfriend. Rudder Hall - The victim ceived a threatening call froi former acquaintance. Wedn< ] Funds needed to repair San Jacinto Monument HOUSTON (AP) — State parks officials said Tuesday they will seek $10 million for a four-year project to restore the crumbling San Jacinto Monument. The 567-foot obelisk, built 56 years ago on the battlefield where a brigade under Gen. Sam Houston routed Mexican troops in a pivotal victory for Texas independence, is structurally sound, but its veneer is falling off. Up to 30,000 galvanized steel anchor bolts embedded in concrete have rusted over the years from Houston’s damp air. The bolts swell as they deteriorate, cracking the mon ument’s 4- to 5-inch white limestone skin. Thousands of small pieces and a few large chunks of limestone, including one that weighed 50 pounds, have come crashing down over the past few years. Andrew Sansom, the-Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director, said repairing the monument is a top priority. “We will not allow this monument to get out of control in terms of deterioration,” San som said. “It’s too important.” Sansom said his agency and the monu ment’s advisory board are putting together a legislative funding proposal for repairs. State bonds, which would require approval by the Legislature, are one likely source, he said. TP&W could also request an increase in the state tax on sporting goods purchases, a portion of which go to the department. “We have several alternatives. Bonding and expansion of the sporting goods tax are the primary ones on the table at this time,” he said. “Obviously, we’re not going to turn down any philanthropic support that we might get, but we do envision that this is going to be a public project.” Repairs to the monument itself, including replacing the original anchoring system with thousands of stainless steel spikes, are ex pected to cost at least $8 million. Another $1 million is needed to make roofing and air conditioning repairs to the monument museum, and $1 million has been added to initial estimates for unexpected costs. Sansom said he expects to have a firmer grasp on the actual cost when construction bids arrive next May. He hopes the four-year construction project can begin by next September. The restoration will proceed even if the Legislature doesn’t approve bonds or a sales tax hike, but at the expense of other projects, Sansom said. That could mean putting off repairs at other state parks and monuments. “I think under that contingency some very critical sites would be unfunded and this process would stretch out over a longer peri od of time,” he said. “It’s important to stress that this is not a plea to the Legislature for general revenue appropriations. It is an acknowledgment that we’ve got a problem here. It’s an issue that we are intent upon solving.” The masonry monument has undergone several renovations in its lifetime, including a $5.6 million restoration during the 1980s. William von Rosenberg, a TP&W archi tect in charge of the project, said replacing the monument’s rusting anchor bolts should keep the structure in good shape for decades. He said if repairs are not made now, the monument will continue to crumble, and there are indications that more arid more of the bolts are now beginning to “bloom,” or expand with rust. Burglary of Building Floriculture Field Laborato ry - Several different plants, valued at $418 were stolen from the laboratory. Criminal Mischief University Center Garage - A sharp instrument was used to scratch the right side of the vic tim’s car. Debit Card Abuse Penberthy IntramuraU’ plex - The man left his s! • ID card in a baseball cap:-* the playing field while p'" pating in an intramuralWi game. During the game card was stolen. The: found that $165.47 in unati rized purchases were® with the card. Criminal Mischief Misdemeanor Theft Dairy Cattle Center - A man observed four juveniles running from the area. Upon inspection of the property, the man discov ered the grates to his barbecue grill were missing and all of the windows of a University pickup truck had been shattered. Public Intoxicatioi Various Campus Locatiot Two intoxicated pedestrii were arrested. Criminal Trespass Anderson Track and Field Complex - Two individuals were found inside the secured area of the complex. The subjects had ignored the “No Trespassing” signs and entered the field to run the bleachers. Minor in Possession Alcoholic Beverage/Failu to Identify Fowler Hall - An underi intoxicated man, who atteu ed to conceal his identity providing false information the attending officer, was sued two citations. Cruelty to Animals Spence Park - Two indivi als were observed throw rocks at several squirrels. ANNUAL WINTER SAT F On All 14K & 18K Gold & Diamond Jewelry m PUB. PRICE $20.00 OUR PRICE $5.98 Gift Books Under $10. Special Holiday Hours Mon - Fri 10-9 Sat 10-6 Sun 12-6 Only at.... I.UUmorkr Enjoy a happy, money-saving holiday at Half Price Books. Choose from thousands of new gift books for your friends and family at very low prices. HALF PRICE BOOKS Jeuueler/ inc. 3841 BeHaire Bfvd. Houston, Texas 77025 • 713-668-5000 RECORDS MAGAZINES 3828 Texas Ave. S. • 846-2738 10am-9pm Mon-Sat. • 12pm-9pm Sun. ALL 1995 CALENDARS HALF PRICE OR LESS. The Battalion BELINDA BLANCARTE, Editor in chief MARK EVANS, Managing editor HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor MARK SMITH, Night News editor KIM MCGUIRE, City editor JENNYY MAGEE, Opinion editor STEWART MILNE, Photo editor DAVE WINDER, Sports editor ROB CLARK, Aggielife editor Staff Members City desk—Jan Higginbotham, Katherine Arnold, Michele Brinkmann, Stephanie Dube, Amanda Fowle, Melissa Jacobs, Amy Lee. 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Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA, MasterCard, Discover or America Express, call 845-2611. Exl tea By N TheE If worm nents Th dishe Uralr her p with 1 “I who 8 Fir point “L a grei Be with ers w guard four < cause Ha saw r “O’ Harvt three last g Th end o was I minul field i Bu with Club three- ian te Th game both c "W the la Ov produ and tl scorm “I i tage t well, ally g] Ck I by for bound kina, Th. Lama: Sund£ Is tl- W an ir long were brigl Dali NFL som< PGA hero ump H give] abor man I wil 1( this sion tiom to gr stan Ti po w< an TI ed yo Fc